Yes, open-air smoking landside, outside the terminal building, is permitted at Teniente Luis Candelaria Airport (BRC) in San Carlos de Bariloche, under Argentina’s national law banning smoking in every enclosed public space. The airport publishes no dedicated smoking area of its own, and no airside facility is confirmed — treat the open air outside the terminal, before security or after you land, as the option.
Bariloche’s airport is the main gateway to Argentina’s Lake District and its Andean ski resorts, sitting about 13 kilometres from downtown San Carlos de Bariloche. Its single terminal covers around 12,000 square metres.
Where to Smoke
Nationally, Ley 26.687 keeps every enclosed public space in Argentina smoke-free, which is why an airport terminal never has an indoor smoking room. BRC’s own website goes no further than that — it lists no dedicated smoking area, marked spot or signage of its own. What that leaves is the open air outside the terminal building, on the landside, where the national law does not restrict smoking.
After Security
Searching BRC’s own service and facilities listings turns up nothing on an airside smoking room, so the working assumption for anyone flying out of Bariloche is to smoke landside first. Transiting or connecting through BRC and hoping to step out for one is a similar story: the airport has not published any procedure for leaving and re-clearing security for a smoke break, so budget extra time and confirm with your airline before you try it. Our guide to smoking during layovers covers the general planning.
Lounges
BRC’s AMAE Lounge is listed by the operator on the ground floor of the arrivals hall, landside, with opening hours of 06:30 to 22:00 — no smoking area is mentioned anywhere in that listing.
Vaping
Since Ley 26.687 treats every enclosed public space the same way for vapes as for cigarettes, the landside open air outside the terminal is BRC’s default for both — no airside or indoor vaping spot is confirmed. Argentina separately bans the sale and import of e-cigarettes and heat-not-burn devices under ANMAT Disposición 3226/2011, so pack what you need before you fly rather than plan to buy a device or refills once you land in Bariloche.
For onward connections, the outdoor smoking area at Ezeiza International works the same landside-only way.
Summary
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor terminal | No | Smoke-free nationwide under Ley 26.687 |
| After security / airside | No | Airport’s own listings name no airside facility |
| AMAE Lounge | No | Ground floor, arrivals hall (landside); no smoking area in the listing |
| Outdoor landside | Yes | Open air outside the terminal, permitted under national law; no marked spot published |
| Vaping | Landside open air only | Follows the same national default as cigarettes; e-cigarette sale/import banned nationally |
For Argentina’s airport smoking rules and vaping law, see our Argentina airport guide.